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Compensating Spring.

Patented Oct. 12, 1869. Y

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Compensating Spring. I No. 95,736. Patented Oct. 12, 1869.

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Compensating Spring. No. 95,736. Patented Oct; .12, 1869.

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CHARLES SHEA, or NEWARK, new Jnnsnv.

lMPROVEMENT IN COMPENSATING OR EQUILlBRlUM- SPRING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 95,736, dated October 12, 1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES SHEA, of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of 'New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Oompensating or Equilibrium Spring; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, Sheet I, represents a perspective view of my improved spring attachment to carriages. Fig. 2, Sheet I, is a side view of a modification of the same. Fig. 3, Sheet I, is a transverse section of spring shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4, Sheet II, is a side view of a modification of the carriagespring. Fig. 5, Sheet II, is an end view of the same. Fig. 6, Sheet II, is a side view of a railroad car spring provided with my compensating attachment. Fig. 7, Sheet II, is a vertical transverse section of the same. Figs. 8, 9, and 10, Sheet III, are side views of modifications of the car attachment.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to provide means for avoiding the jar and inconvenience on carriages and railroad-cars, and for economizing springs on the same.

The invention consists, chiefly, in providing compensating-springs in connection with the ordinary springs on carriages, cars, locomotives, 850., the said compensating-springs being so arranged that they act in opposite directions to the mainsprings. When the pressure is on the main or hearing spring it is off the compensating-spring, and when on the latter it is off the former.

It is well known that carriages and Wagons when loaded are not as liable to break their springs as they are when not loaded, because in the latter case the great shock produced when one of the Wheels drops into a depression will produce a rebound of the carriagebody injurious to the spring. In railroad-cars the same effects on the springs are experienced when the cars pass over badly fitted railjoints.

By my invention all these defects are entirely overcome, as the additional counteracting springs keep all the mainsprings so balanced that they cannot become overstrained when the weight on them is suddenly thrown off, with a tendency of stretching them in the wrong direction.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings are illustrated'various modifications of my-invention, showing it applied to various kinds of vehicles. It will be noticed that in all cases the same principle is applied, to wit, that of providing a counteracting spring to the main bearing-spring of a vehicle.

In Fig. 1, A represents the sills or side pieces of a carriage or wagon body, resting upon the upper arms of sprin gs B B, which are strapped to the -axle U, as usual. The springs B are made in form of jointed arms, as shown. Thev upper arms a at are connected with each other by a rod, D, upon which a compensating spring, E, is placed, said spring being, by means of straps F F, connected with the axle C. When the springs B are compressed by a load the spring E is expanded and without any effect. But when, byashock, the springs B are expanded with violence, they are re- 4 the spring B is suddenly expanded the strap F is stretched to relieve'the same, and to aid in bringing the parts back to the required equilibrium.

The straps F, in Fig.1, regulate the power.

of the spring E,'as they are lengthened and shortened.

In Figs. 4 and 5 amodificationisillustrated,

showing how my invention can be applied to 7 v I W carriages or wagons which have elliptic springs B on the ends of the axle G and at right angles to the same. the springs are connected by a rod, D, on which a flat spring, I}, is firmly secured in the middle. To the under side of the axle is also The upper parts of truck-frame J 1 is supported by the boxes H 5 secured a spring, G similar to E The ends slackened, and no effect is made on the springs E G But when the bearing-springs are violently expanded, the beltswill be stretched on their spring-holders, to counteract the main- Spring. e

Wagons may, however, receive other kinds of springs, and I do not confine myself to the details herein set forth. Rubber, metal, and other material ma be used for the compensating-springs in various suitable forms.

To railroad-cars, locomotives, and tenders theinvention is also applicable and of value.

In Figs. fiand" 7 is illustrated one mode of arrangingiton cars. In this th'ehxle-box' H, which is strapped to the mainspring I, that is suspended from thetruck-frarheJ, works up anddown in a slotted plate, K. L is a pin suspended from the box El, and fi't'ted'th'rough an aperture in the lower end of, K. A s'piral volute or rubber or other suitable spring, M, is interposed between H and the lowerpa'rt of K, and fitted around L. When a weight presses upon the frame J the spring I stretched as the frame is lowered; but when,

1 y sud den' jars, the frame is thrown up it compresses the spring M, and thereby prevents all parts from coming into violent contact and from injury thereby. e

In Fig. 8 is shown a device for the front trucksof locomotives a'ndffor'tenders. The

which are in pairs, connected withtheend s of the mainspring I, said mainspring being, by

a link, d, and strap, fitted at the middle upon the frame J Volute springs', 0r rubberchsliions or other springs M are interposed between every box H and a shoulder, e, of the pin L, by which such box is connected with the mainspring. 'Ihe springM will then 1 have the same effect on the mainspring as in the cases before set forth.

Figs. 9 and l0showdtwo forms of locomotive-sprin'g' bearings. In Fig. 9 the mainspring I has its ends, by straps f, connected with the frame J while its middle rests on a pin, L which projects from the box H. A fiat spring, M projects from the lower part of the spring I, and has its ends supported on rubber cushions N as shown, said cushions being formed on pin-s which fit loose into the In Fig. 10' the pin L by which thespring 1 is connected' with the axle-box H is represented as fitting upon a rubber or other sphin g: cushion, M which is placed u'pon the frame J In allof these cases the Springs i wi M and M act as do'iripensatingsprings, in

the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

by straps F, and with the bearing springs B" by a rod, D; all arranged and-operating as described.

CHAS. SHEA. Witnesses: I

FRANK BLocKLEr, ALEX. F. ROBERTS. 

